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News & Photos
Remembering Bill Seal
Beloved former faculty member, coach, and dorm parent
Bill Seal, who retired last spring from McDonogh after years
of dedicated service, died on Monday, March 26, from an
apparent heart attack. A memorial service was held in
Tagart Memorial Chapel on Saturday, March 31. Bill will be inurned in
the McDonogh columbarium during a private ceremony at a
later date.
During his 39-year career at McDonogh, Bill taught lower school science, upper
school psychology and history, offered guidance as a dean
and dorm parent, and coached JV and varsity boys' soccer, JV and
fresh/soph boys' lacrosse, girls' winter soccer, JV softball, and varsity wrestling. He was
inducted into the McDonogh Athletic Hall of Fame in 1999 and
received the Alumni Association's Distinguished Service
Award in 2007.
During a retirement tribute last spring, Headmaster
Charlie Britton summed up McDonogh's love for Bill with the
following statement.
As a dean, a teacher, a coach, and a dorm parent – as a school person – he has touched the lives of too many to count. We will miss
his sense of humor and his laugh, his sweater vests, the
occasional bow tie, and even the needlepoint glasses case,
but most of all we will miss the school person he has always
been.
During the 2007 Spirit Brunch, Robin Coblentz, McDonogh
employee from 1962 to 1985, praised Bill for his devotion to
McDonogh before presenting him with the DSA. Here are
excerpts from her remarks:
Bill was no stranger to McDonogh as he was growing up
in Owings Mills and graduating from Franklin High School,
where he lettered in three sports, but I doubt that he ever
imagined that this school would become as much a part of his
life as it has. He was an honors graduate of the
University of Baltimore, where he received his BA with a
major in history and psychology. He had actually enrolled
in law school when he accepted a position as a science and
woodshop teacher in McDonogh's Lower School when Mose
MacHamer was its head. He was hired specifically to
establish a physical education program in the Lower School.
Bill spent 14 years in the Lower School and during this time
I got a perfect taste of the great Seal sense of humor.
In 1986 he became Associate Dean of Students where one of
his jobs was to oversee the residential program. At this
time he and his wife Cheryl became houseparents in South
(now Keelty) Hall and nursed the fledgling girls' boarding
program into the success it is today. Here I should say
that Cheryl is also heavily invested in the McDonogh family
(her father is Dick Working, for many years Middle School
math teacher and varsity football coach) she has been the
reading specialist in the Lower School for many years.
Bill's move to the Upper School also included teaching
three sections of psychology, which he continues to this
day. His job as dean moved him in the counseling direction,
and after taking courses nights, weekends, and summers, he
received his MA in counseling from Loyola in 1992. Until
last year Bill was the senior class dean. This year he
added one class of world history to his busy schedule.
Well, so much for the academic side of Bill's career.
Athletics . . . well, I could just say that in 1999, he was
inducted into the McDonogh Athletic Hall of Fame, which says
it all but here are a few details. After putting in his
time at Lower School athletics, he coached jv soccer,
fresh/soph lacrosse, girls' winter soccer, and varsity
wrestling, but it was from 1976 until 1996, twenty years,
that the words Seal and soccer were synonymous. During those
years he and his varsity teams recorded 210 wins, and became
9th in the state in championships won. Among all this
acclaim, however, Bill's proudest moment, he told me, was
when he and his son Jon were inducted into the Athletic Hall
of Fame at the same time eight years ago.
According to the family's wishes, memorial contributions may be made to the McDonogh School Scholarship Program.
We extend our deepest sympathies to Cheryl, Jon '88, and the entire Seal family.
Read a wonderful tribute to Bill in The Baltimore Sun.
View Photos
Beloved former faculty member, coach, and dorm parent Bill Seal, who retired last spring from McDonogh after years of dedicated service, died on Monday, March 26, from an apparent heart attack. A memorial service was held in Tagart Memorial Chapel on Saturday, March 31. Bill will be inurned in the McDonogh columbarium during a private ceremony at a later date.
During his 39-year career at McDonogh, Bill taught lower school science, upper school psychology and history, offered guidance as a dean and dorm parent, and coached JV and varsity boys' soccer, JV and fresh/soph boys' lacrosse, girls' winter soccer, JV softball, and varsity wrestling. He was inducted into the McDonogh Athletic Hall of Fame in 1999 and received the Alumni Association's Distinguished Service Award in 2007.
During a retirement tribute last spring, Headmaster Charlie Britton summed up McDonogh's love for Bill with the following statement.
As a dean, a teacher, a coach, and a dorm parent – as a school person – he has touched the lives of too many to count. We will miss his sense of humor and his laugh, his sweater vests, the occasional bow tie, and even the needlepoint glasses case, but most of all we will miss the school person he has always been.
During the 2007 Spirit Brunch, Robin Coblentz, McDonogh employee from 1962 to 1985, praised Bill for his devotion to McDonogh before presenting him with the DSA. Here are excerpts from her remarks:
Bill was no stranger to McDonogh as he was growing up in Owings Mills and graduating from Franklin High School, where he lettered in three sports, but I doubt that he ever imagined that this school would become as much a part of his life as it has. He was an honors graduate of the University of Baltimore, where he received his BA with a major in history and psychology. He had actually enrolled in law school when he accepted a position as a science and woodshop teacher in McDonogh's Lower School when Mose MacHamer was its head. He was hired specifically to establish a physical education program in the Lower School. Bill spent 14 years in the Lower School and during this time I got a perfect taste of the great Seal sense of humor.
In 1986 he became Associate Dean of Students where one of his jobs was to oversee the residential program. At this time he and his wife Cheryl became houseparents in South (now Keelty) Hall and nursed the fledgling girls' boarding program into the success it is today. Here I should say that Cheryl is also heavily invested in the McDonogh family (her father is Dick Working, for many years Middle School math teacher and varsity football coach) she has been the reading specialist in the Lower School for many years.
Bill's move to the Upper School also included teaching three sections of psychology, which he continues to this day. His job as dean moved him in the counseling direction, and after taking courses nights, weekends, and summers, he received his MA in counseling from Loyola in 1992. Until last year Bill was the senior class dean. This year he added one class of world history to his busy schedule.
Well, so much for the academic side of Bill's career. Athletics . . . well, I could just say that in 1999, he was inducted into the McDonogh Athletic Hall of Fame, which says it all but here are a few details. After putting in his time at Lower School athletics, he coached jv soccer, fresh/soph lacrosse, girls' winter soccer, and varsity wrestling, but it was from 1976 until 1996, twenty years, that the words Seal and soccer were synonymous. During those years he and his varsity teams recorded 210 wins, and became 9th in the state in championships won. Among all this acclaim, however, Bill's proudest moment, he told me, was when he and his son Jon were inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame at the same time eight years ago.
According to the family's wishes, memorial contributions may be made to the McDonogh School Scholarship Program.
We extend our deepest sympathies to Cheryl, Jon '88, and the entire Seal family.
Read a wonderful tribute to Bill in The Baltimore Sun.